Great Lakes Ravine Restoration Toolkit

Published on September 25, 2013

Great Lakes Ravine Restoration Toolkit

The Alliance for the Great Lakes is the oldest independent organization devoted 100 percent to the Great Lakes. Their professional staff works with scientists, policymakers, businesses, community groups and everyday citizens to protect and restore the world’s largest surface freshwater resource. The Chicago Lakeshore is home to over fifty unique ravine systems on both public and private property, draining directly to Lake Michigan. These ravine systems are home to high quality natural resources and are experiencing degradation due to development and altered hydrology.

Northwater has been working with the Alliance to inventory coastal ravines, assess their stability and promote restoration. Recently, Northwater served as a technical consultant in a collaborative effort to develop standard water quality, geomorphic and biologic assessment protocols to evaluate and monitor dozens of severely eroding ravines that deliver sediment and pollutants into the Great Lakes. We worked on a diverse team of organizations and professionals to publish a ravine restoration toolkit and assessment protocol. Please follow this link to view and download the toolkit http://www.greatlakes.org/ravinerestoration/toolkit